50 year old generic white guy-rethinking pot

[DaveCO]

The appropriate question is never "Should (action or thing) be Legal" The default in a free society is that any action is legal unless we enact a law to make it illegal. Then the appropriate question is whether such a law is appropriate.

Every law from time to time needs to be examined whether it is appropriate.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Mike1956]

But you were wasted either way, and I learned long ago that being wasted is a waste.

If you can't distinguish between psychotic and near-comatose, I can't help you.

[bombthrower77]

As far as pot being a gateway drug...I think it is in people who have addictive personalities. How many people go directly to Meth or Heroin without any previous Marijuana use?

Many people can use pot and never move on to anything stronger, just like many people can drink and not move on to become raging alcoholics. However, I do think in those susceptable people it is a gateway drug and that's one of the dangers.

It's pretty obvious pot is not going away, so maybe legalizing it is the way to go. Can you imagine the bureaucracy that's going to entail?

JeanLouise, I'd argue that it is a gateway drug insomuch as you need to go to a drug dealer to get it. Just like picking up cookies when you are shopping for veggies. There are no addictive effects of pot, unlike with alcohol or cigarettes or carbohydrates for that matter. There is habituation, however and the more often you visit the dealer, the more likely you might try something more dangerous. Taking pot out of the dealer's hands will likely reduce the number of new users of hard drugs.

[suntzu]

JeanLouise, I'd argue that it is a gateway drug insomuch as you need to go to a drug dealer to get it. Just like picking up cookies when you are shopping for veggies. There are no addictive effects of pot, unlike with alcohol or cigarettes or carbohydrates for that matter. There is habituation, however and the more often you visit the dealer, the more likely you might try something more dangerous. Taking pot out of the dealer's hands will likely reduce the number of new users of hard drugs.

Well, there have been times I had gone for milk and came back with beer from the grocery store. I don't consider milk a gateway to alcohol.

[QKShooter]

My Dad could go to a wedding and smoke a cigarette and really enjoy it and and then never smoke another one for 5 years.

Younger members probably will not know this but, at fancy weddings there used to be pastel colored cigarettes with Gold Leaf filters and packs of monogrammed matches on every wedding dinner table.

So my Dad would smoke one of those cigs after dinner and I guess the next time he smoked a cigarette was at the next really nice wedding.

[Mike1956]

My Dad could go to a wedding and smoke a cigarette and really enjoy it and and then never smoke another one for 5 years.

Younger members probably will not know this but, at fancy weddings there used to be pastel colored cigarettes with Gold Leaf filters and packs of monogrammed matches on every wedding dinner table.

So my Dad would smoke one of those cigs after dinner and I guess the next time he smoked a cigarette was at the next really nice wedding.

I can smoke the sacred cannunpa (peace pipe) during ceremony once a month with real live tobacco and never give it a thought. If I were to bum a Kool off someone after the ceremony and smoke it, I would be driving to the carry-out for a carton.

[MrBuckwheat]

I am a non smoke of all types (unless you count tires or gun powder). I changed my mind about a year ago. I think they should legalize pot and regulate and tax it. It would be a huge windfall on the tax front. How much tax on a pack of cigarettes today? Then maybe some of these left over hippies with the liberal agenda would be too busy smoking weed than worrying about guns, environment,global warming,.....
I think the benefits would out weigh the risks. LE and the courts system would be more available for real crime cases. It would create jobs in retail, manufacture and agriculture ( thats also income tax ). It would be American Made. Don't allow it to be brought in or taken out of the Country without a tax stamp or tariff.
It is a choice just like alcohol or cigarettes, nobody is forcing you to do it. Its your choice. The reason it is your choice is because we live in a free country.

[thephanatik]

While I have never smoked pot and never will, I am not against legalizing it.

Here's what I've seen:

A good friend of mine had a friend he'd known since grade school. He had a fiance, kid, and a job. I don't remember the specifics, but he got caught selling a friend some weed and was found guilty of a felony and went to jail for a couple years. He was making maybe $25-30k a year at his job, helping support his fiance and child. He goes to prison, now it's costing taxpayers $30-40k a year to keep him there, and his fiance likely ended up getting (additional) government assistance.

My same friend's brother also smokes. He just graduated college and got a job.

I won't even try to argue the health aspect of it, its obviously NOT good for you, but neither are 64oz sodas.

In regards to DUIs, its easy to tell if someone is under the influence of marijuana. Smell their breath, if it smells like Doritos, they are probably high.

[BigJon10125]

And here I thought you were reconsidering sparking it up!

[Lotus222]

Everything surrounding the illegality of weed is propaganda that we have been spoon-fed for years. It is no more a gateway drug than tylenol is. It is much less dangerous than alcohol. In fact, it is not chemically addictive at all. You cannot overdose on it. You cannot become an addict and die for going cold turkey or quitting (unlike alcohol). If you make the argument for it being "unhealthy", so it should be illegal, then I assume you are a proponent of the 32oz soda ban in NY. The war on drugs is filling our prisons and burning through billions of tax dollars, annually. The war on drugs creates lifelong criminals by creating a black market. The war on drugs fuels the cash flow to gangs throughout the country and cartels in mexico. Without it, they couldn't survive. ...And for what? The war on drugs isn't working. It is creating this countries drug problems.

Yet people think they are taking the moral high ground by supporting the ban. Newsflash, prohibition doesn't work. We already tried it and failed miserably. Supporting it is inadvertently supporting crime and death. And to top it all off, the government knows all of this, yet still wants to continue. Because it supports government jobs. Because it gives the government power over the people (like the ATF). Because it gives police the probable cause for a search and arrest.

[packinnova]

JeanLouise, I'd argue that it is a gateway drug insomuch as you need to go to a drug dealer to get it. Just like picking up cookies when you are shopping for veggies. There are no addictive effects of pot, unlike with alcohol or cigarettes or carbohydrates for that matter. There is habituation, however and the more often you visit the dealer, the more likely you might try something more dangerous. Taking pot out of the dealer's hands will likely reduce the number of new users of hard drugs.

Horse poopy.... That hasn't worked and they've been trying for decades. Nevermind what we are seeing lately is where folks can't get ahold of the real thing they're experimenting with stuff that is MUCH MUCH worse(k2/spice/potpouri and other variants). You can try all you want to keep one drug out of a dealers hands and all they're goign to do is shift to something else.

[OldVet]

Ya'll argue all you want about pot. I'm finishing off a bottle of sweet muscadine wine tonight--legally.

[MrBuckwheat]

Ya'll argue all you want about pot. I'm finishing off a bottle of sweet muscadine wine tonight--legally.

What time should I drop by and help you with that?

[AngryBadger417]

I believe that if old Mary Jane was legalized, the amount of marijuana partakers would drop steeply within 3-5 years. It just wouldn't be cool! Coming from a whole family of alcoholics I can say from my experience that Alchohol destroys your life faster than pot ever could.

[olhippy]

Last time I treid it I went to sleep. This was back in early 90`s. Heck, I can go to sleep anytime and about anywhere. Why risk job loss, arrest record or some other problem for something that puts me to sleep. Now, a cold beer on the other hand-----